Cubs Get Positive Edward Cabrera News, But Can He Finally Step Up?

The Chicago Cubs should have Edward Cabrera back for his next start after he was forced to leave the game early on Wednesday.

Jun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) in the dugout during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs received a rare dose of good injury news.

Ahead of Wednesday's victory over the Colorado Rockies, starting arm Edward Cabrera could be seen throwing on the field. The footage came only one day after he was removed from the team's second matchup with the Rockies, where he lasted 4.1 innings of work and gave up 5 earned runs. The team promptly announced that Cabrera had experienced a hand cramp.

Nevertheless, the issue seemingly subsided quickly enough for Cabrera to resume throwing. Craig Counsell even went on to say that they are feeling optimistic about his availability moving forward.

“Everything is good. I think right now from our feedback, it was a cramp," Counsell told Marquee Sports Network. "It has resolved itself. He kind of had a normal Day 1 post start. We’ll obviously monitor it, see what happens after bullpen day. But, for now, it appears to be in good shape.”

Edward Cabrera was throwing on the field today! pic.twitter.com/QO7e6WbwoK

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 17, 2026

As Counsell said, Cabrera will still have to make it through his normal routine before we can be certain that he dodged a bullet. However, signs do point toward him being able to make his next scheduled start on June 22 against the New York Mets.

It's Time for Edward Cabrera to Step Up

Jun 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) throws the ball against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

To be frank, it's actually well past time for Edward Cabrera to be the pitcher this team needs. The Cubs went out of their way to acquire the righty this offseason, even sending their top prospect to the Marlins to get the job done. How has he responded? Cabrera holds a concerning 5.21 ERA over his 13 starts.

Carbera's strikeout percentage has dropped pretty significantly, as he currently sits in just the 43rd percentile. The good news is that he is still getting opposing batters to chase at a decent rate, but they are consistently making much better contact when they do connect. His sinker, in particular, hasn't been nearly as effective despite being his second-most thrown pitch.

You can live with some walks from Cabrera, but that's under the assumption that he's forcing enough swings and misses with his movement. That simply isn't the case right now. However, the good news is that Cabrera has shown signs of life, which The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma did an excellent job of detailing last week. The team worked hard with Cabrera during his last IL stint to tweak his arm angle and up his velocity.

Now, is the fact that he had to pull himself out of this last start concerning? A little, but it may have also genuinely been a fluke cramp. We should know pretty quickly whether Cabrera is on the right track again or slipping back into his pre-IL-stint ways.

The Cubs obviously need it to be the former. Especially with Matthew Boyd making real progress again, there is a chance for this rotation to finally find a rhythm and help turn this season around. Cabrera has the kind of stuff to be a real difference-maker in the rotation, but he's so far only been a part of the problem.

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